Grant, Ocean are tops in Monmouth County track BY TIM MORRIS Staff Writer PHOTOS BY CHRIS KELLY staff Above, Ocean’s Tiffany Grant rises to one of her four wins, besting the field in the 100-meter dash at Saturday’s Monmouth County Championships in Brick. At left, Long Branch’s Marcus jenkins soars through the air in the long jump. Ocean Township’s sprinters, led by Tiffany Grant, were impossible to catch on the track, and that, in turn, made the Spartans uncatchable at last weekend’s Monmouth County Track and Field Championships. With Grant winning four events overall, including three on the track, the Spartans rolled up 72 points, finishing almost 30 points ahead of runner-up Neptune (44.5) at Brick Township High School. The championships were contested Thursday and Saturday. Grant’s championship barrage began Saturday with her favorite event, the 400 meters. She outclassed the field with her 56.54, but like any champion, was not totally satisfied. “I need to work on the middle 200,” she said. “I have to focus on going all out on the backstretch if I’m not pushed.” Still, the early season 56-plus was just what she was looking for. “I want to start off where I ended the indoor season at,” she said. “I’m right where I want to be.” In the 200-meter final, Grant and teammate Georgina Nembhard again proved they are the dynamic duo of Shore area sprinting by going one-two. Grant turned in a 24.98 running into a headwind, with Nembhard second at 25.07. Nembhard had earlier won her championship, easily winning the 100-meter dash in 12.26. Nembhard also finished second in the 100 hurdles behind Neptune’s Trier Young (14.04-15.11). Grant and Nembhard were teammates on the 1,600-meter relay team that scored a stirring come-from-behind win over Freehold Borough, 4:05.58-4:07.19. The Colonials used their best 400 runner, Rose Drayton, on the third leg, and she took her team from in the field to first place and a 10-meter lead on the Spartans at the baton exchange for the anchor legs. The sudden development did not catch Grant off-guard. “They [Freehold Borough] did it that way last year,” she said. When Grant took the stick, she had to chase down the Colonials’ Elise Tagatac, who is no stiff. She was a finalist in the 400 meters and was fresher than Grant. Would that be enough to help her hold off the county’s fastest 400 sprinter? “I couldn’t go out fast because I was tired,” Grant said. Instead, she stalked the Colonial anchor, picking up ground on the backstretch and then moving up on her shoulder on the far turn. Coming off the final turn, Grant had put her fatigue behind her and was in top gear, catching Tagatac and quickly putting the Colonial in her rearview mirror. Grant had to run hard to the tape because in an unseeded section race Matawan had turned in a 4:07.52. Grant put the Spartans under it at 4:05.58, with Freehold Borough getting second place with its 4:07.19. Grant made it easy for the voters to name her the meet’s Most Outstanding Track Performer. However, her fourth win came in the field, in the long jump. In between her track wins, she found the time to capture the long jump at 16-4 3/4. She edged Jackie Christie of St. John Vianney and Jessica Pagliano of Colts Neck, who both did 16-1. Spartan teammate Patty Yau was fourth at 15-5 1/2. Ocean’s other scorers were Kristin Enderly, sixth in the 3,200 (12:06.09), and Tracie Ching, sixth in the triple jump (33-6 3/4) Red Bank Regional’s Christina Nelson competed in all three of the distance races — 800-1,600-3,200 — and surprised herself with her win in the 800 (2:16.76) over the defending champion, Jen Therkorn of St. John Vianney (2:17.11). “I didn’t think I had the speed [to the 800],” she said. “Running is so much about confidence and this helps my confidence.” Nelson was second to Colts Neck’s Ashley Higginson in both the 1,600 (5:09.26) and the 3,200 (11:48.58). It was her first 3,200 on the track. “I ran the 3,200 for the experience,” said Nelson. “To see how it is.” Nelson’s triple helped RBR tie Shore Regional for fifth with 30 points. Hurdler Kristen Pierce led the Blue Devils with a second place in the 400 intermediates (1:03.97) and a third place in the 100 hurdles (15.24). Monmouth Regional’s Charles Cox is the budding sprint star among the boys. The sophomore won both the 200 and 400 dashes, and only a photo finish loss in the 100 to Middletown South’s Knowshon Moreno prevented him from scoring a triple. In the century, Cox and Moreno ran side-by-side throughout, and it took a photo to determine the Eagle had won by an eyelash with both being given the time of 11.01. Cox put that disappointment behind him by winning both the 200 and 400. He ran a very efficient 400, posting a 50.24. He turned in a 22.39 in winning the half-lapper going away. Cox’s 28 points held the Golden Falcons finish in a three-way tie for fourth (40). Christian Brothers Academy won the team title with 74 points. Red Bank Regional’s Kade Weston bested the shot put field with his 54-1 1/2. The Bucs finished eighth (29.5). Long Branch was ninth (28) led by the all around efforts of Marcus Jenkins, The senior was fourth in the 200 (22.93), second in the 100 hurdles (14.80) and ran a leg on the 1,600 relay team that was fourth (3:27.72). Jarrett Sanderson was second in the long jump (20-11 1/5) and fourth in the high jump (6-0) for the Green Wave. Shore Regional was 13th (16) led by its third place 4x400 team of Matt Villane, Taylor Kirk, Matt Reidy and Scott Britton (3:27.19). The Shore Conference Track and Field Championships are up next. They start tomorrow at Brick Township and continue on Saturday.